Zhu specializes in historical Chinese syntax and Chinese pedagogy. In this video, Zhu discusses the unique challenges of teaching Chinese as a second language and his research into the application of pedagogical theories to improve instruction.

Zhu noted that, according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, students require 1,300 instructional hours to reach fluency in Chinese. Students studying a Romance language, by comparison, only require 480 hours. “How do we fill the gap?” asked Zhu. “We have to use efficient teaching methods.”